State Sen. John Carona Urges Dallas to Reject Plans to Frack City Parkland

It's T-minus three hours until all hell breaks loose at City Hall, as the Plan Commission meets to decide whether to let Trinity East Energy drill for natural gas in Dallas parkland, and things are already starting to simmer.

Case in point is a letter sent this week to Mayor Mike Rawlings by state Senator John Carona of Dallas, who expresses concern about the gas processing facility proposed for land a stone's throw from the Elm Fork Soccer Complex and urges the city to reject Trinity East's proposal. (The Morning News provides a handy primer on the processing operations here).

"Considering the proposed facility's proximity to community centers such as the Elm Fork Soccer Complex, Luna Vista Golf Course, North Hills Preparatory School, and numerous others," Carona writes. "it seems only prudent that the Plan Commission suspend this proposal in favor of a comprehensive environmental study to ensure the health and safety of those who could be affected."

A long-haired hippie environmentalist Carona is not. He's a Republican who, as the chair of the Senate's Business and Commerce Committee, carries considerable clout, both here and in Austin. He'll be a hard person to ignore.